Natalie Featherston
Artist Bio Artist Work
Artist Natalie Featherston works exclusively in the centuries old realm of trompe l’oeil, creating dazzling paintings that combine the virtuosity of a Dutch master with a thoroughly modern mind. The Chicago Sun Times has described her work as, “Artful beyond just illusion and trickery, they are truly masterful still lifes made with both craft and wit.”
Natalie says, “What inspires me is the creative voice, whimsy and humor trompe l’oeil allows the artist to express. Unlike portraits or landscape, still life doesn’t simply exist around us. You have to build the stage for the painting, selecting the color and textures. The end result draws the viewer in and connects with them in a meaningful way. This is why I’ve always found trompe l’oeil to be a challenge, and I can’t imagine painting anything else.”
Natalie discovered her love for painting by accident in the early 1990s after moving from North Carolina to New York City to pursue her master’s degree in music. An accomplished cellist, she has had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall and across Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. “Although I enjoyed making music, I wanted to do something more creative and unique, something that was altogether mine. I started drawing from the models at the Art Students League and I was hooked.” Classes soon followed at some of New York’s most venerable art institutions: The National Academy of Design, The School of Visual Arts and The Drawing Academy of the Atlantic, culminating in a six-year apprenticeship with Michael Aviano.
Ms. Featherston’s paintings have received numerous awards from some of the most distinguished art organizations in the country, including the Art Renewal Center, the Richeson 75 International Competition, and the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. Her paintings have appeared in The Artist’s Magazine, American Art Collector, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, CREATE Magazine and Western Art & Architecture to name but a few of the publications that have featured her work. In 2021 Natalie was awarded “Best Trompe L’oeil” at the 15th Art Renewal Center Salon, the largest and most prestigious art competition in the world for representational art, and her work was exhibited at Sotheby’s in NYC and the Europen Museum for Modern Art in Barcelona. Ms. Featherston is represented by art galleries in major cities across the country, and her paintings are sought after by notable collectors including Danielle Steele, J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Alice Cooper.
Education
1995 - 2001 Michael Aviano, private instruction, New York, NY
1993 - 1995 National Academy of Design, New York, NY
1991 - 1993 Art Students League, New York, NY
1985 - 1991 North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
Collections
Mr. Alice Cooper
Mr. Larry Luchino, Co-Owner of the Boston Red Sox
Mr. J.J. Abrams
Mr. Alex Kurtzman, Universal Studios
Mr. Paul Feig
Ms. Toni Morrison
Ms. Danielle Steele
Mr. Graydon Parish
Mr. Jeremy Lipking
Mr. Logan Maxwell Hagege
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Krakoff
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Godel
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adorni
Mr. Alex Williamson
Awards
2024
Best In Show, Richeson 75 International, “Small Works Show”
Alamenara Art Prize Award, Best Oil, Allied Artsits of America 111th Juried Show, Butler Museum of American Art
Winner, Publishing Award, Arts to Hearts Project, “100 Emegring Artists”
2023
Best In Show, Art Fluent – “Wanderlust”
Finalist, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize
First Place, Richeson 75 International, “Small Works 2023”
Finalist, 16th Art Renewal Salon
Best In Show, Wanderlust with the Art Fluent International Salon
2021
Winner, Best Trompe L’oeil – 15th Art Renewal Center Salon
The Award of Excellence, American Women Artists National Juried Open
Finalist, Southwest Art Magazine, Award of Excellence Competition
Finalist, Jackson’s Painting Prize
Finalist, Boynes Emerging Artist Award
2020
The Mary Castelnovo Award- Providence Art Club National Open Juried Show
2019
Winner of the Rehs Gallery Award and Finalist- 14th Art Renewal Center Salon
2018
Winner of the Arcadia Contemporary Award and Finalist- 13th Art Renewal Center Salon
2001
First Place, Still Life –The Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition
President’s Choice Award –Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Club, New York, NY
2000
Still Life Finalist- The Artists Magazine Annual Still Life Competition
Art Times Award- Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Bad Romance – Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2023
Fake It When You Make It: New Trompe L’oeil Paintings- Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2022
High Quality Fakes: New Trompe L’oeil – Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2021
Faux Sho: Trompe L’oeil Double Visions– Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2020
Greatest Hits: The All New Trompe L’oeil Review – Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2019
Crafty B*tch – Meyer Gallery- Santa Fe, NM
2018
Showcase – Maxwell Alexander, Los Angeles, CA
2017
The Art of Story – Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2016
The Art of Thinking Outside the Box – Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2015
New Works– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2014
Fire Sale! Everything Must Go!- Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2013
Deceptions and Illusions – New Trompe L’oeil- Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2012
Recent Trompe L’oeil– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2011
New Work– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2010
Still Life Goes On: New Trompe L’oeil – Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2009
New Work– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2008
Too Good to be True- Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2007
The Best Magic Show Ever– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2006
Trick the Eye, Tempt the Tongue– Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2005
Suitable for Framing– Meyer-Munson Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2004
Just Desserts– Portals Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003
New Work – Munson-Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
New Work– Portals Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002
Still Life Goes On– Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
Selected Exhibitions
2024
Paired – Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, NC
“Wild At Heart” – Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2023
Art Palm Beach – Rehs Gallery, NYC
Tight, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO
The Soul of the Sitter, The Gilbert Stuart Museum, Sanderson, RI
American Artists Professional League, The Butler Institute of American Art, Kimberly, OH
2022
Newport Art Museum Biennial, Newport, RI
Many Moons, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC
2021
Lifting the Sky: Elevating the Works of American Women Artists – National Juried Show
15th Art Renewal Salon– Sotheby’s, NYC and the Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
Small Works – Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Subject: Insentient Bits and Bobs – Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Honoring – Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
2020
Contemporary Realism- Cavalier Galleries, NYC
Providence Art Club National Open Juried Exhibition- Providence, RI
Red Ribbon- Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC
Art Renewal Center Awards Show- Rehs Contemporary, New York, NY
Still Women Run Deep- Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2019
Trompe L’oeil Meets Photorealism- The Peto Museum, Island Heights, NJ
Art Renewal Center Awards Show- Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA
Mondo Tondo- Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA
The Perfectionists- Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC
Five and Under- Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA
Making Her Mark- Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT
2018
Masters of Illusion: The Legacy of John F. Peto- Morven Museum, Princeton, NJ
Five and Under- Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA
Small Works- Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Fool Me Once, Invitational Trompe l’Oeil Show- Robert Lange Studios, SC
2016
The Altitude Project- Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
2015
The Lollipop Guild- Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
The Birds– Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
2014
Miniature Show– Saks Galleries, Denver, CO
2013
Femme Fatale– Saks Galleries, Denver, CO
2012
Caution: Wet Paint!- Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
Leslie Levy Fine Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
2011
Flora and Fauna– Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
2010
American Miniatures– Settler’s West Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009
Trompe L’oeil Invitational– Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion
Small Works– Arcadia Fine Arts
American Miniatures– Settler’s West Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2008
Santa Fe Food Fest- Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2007
Big Talent, Small Works– Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
American Master’s Invitational– Settler’s West, Tucson, AZ
30th Anniversary Show– Leslie Levy Fine Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
2006
Small Works– Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
Art LA, Art Miami, Art Boston, Art Philadelphia- Arcadia Fine Arts
2005
Small Works Show– Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
Art LA, Art Miami, Art Boston, Art Philadelphia- Arcadia Fine Arts
2004
Meyer Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
Russeck Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003
Re-Presenting Realism VI– The Arnot Museum, Elmira, NY
Trompe L’oeil– Century Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2002
New Year, New Talent- Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
Images 2002– University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
2001
Summer Invitational, Arcadia Fine Arts, New York, NY
Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Club, New York, NY
2000
Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Cooperstown Art Association, Cooperstown, NY
First Street Gallery, NYC
1999
Cavalier Gallery, Greenwich, CT
J&W Fine Arts, New Hope, PA
1996
Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, New York, NY
Publications
International Artist Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2024
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Issue #45, June 2024
Create Magazine, Issue #36, 2023
Western Art Collector, June 2021
American Art Collector, November 2020
Forbes Magazine, September 2020
Fine Art Connoisseur, March 2019
Southwest Art Magazine, October 2018
Western Art Collector Magazine, October 2018
Boston Voyager Magazine, June 2018
Southwest Art Magazine, April 2010
Focus Magazine, September 2007
Santa Fean Magazine, September 2007
Art Talk Magazine, March 2007
Southwest Art Magazine, January 2007
American Art Collector, May 2006
Santa Fean Magazine, September 2005
The New Mexican Magazine, September 2005
Pasa-Tiempo, Weekly Magazine of Art And Culture, September 16-22, 2005
The Artists Magazine, December 2001